Come to Tomorrow's Community and Public Safety Committee Meeting

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Dear Portland,

This Tuesday, February 25 at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall is the next Community and Public Safety Committee meeting. I'll be presenting a resolution to clarify who is eligible to serve on the Community Board for Police Accountability. I heard your testimony, and I've worked to use existing state law to create a clearer definition that ensures impartiality among board members while not excluding people unnecessarily from public service.

The current language could potentially disqualify a community member for being "biased" if they've ever posted "Blue Lives Matter" or "Black Lives Matter" on social media, which is irrelevant to their ability to hear the facts of a case and make a decision. This is unacceptable if the City is going to encourage the kind of inclusive community participation we need. I encourage Portlanders who care about this issue to attend or watch the meeting online and sign up to testify in-person or online to make your voice heard. You can also submit written testimony in advance!

As the co-chair of this committee, I will continue to advocate for accountability because constitutional, equitable accountable policing is effective policing. I'll also continue to advocate for your voice being part of the decision-making process on public safety. 

With gratitude,
Sameer Kanal

Councilor.Kanal@portlandoregon.gov Bluesky @CouncilorKanal Instagram @CouncilorKanal X @CouncilorKanal